Final Fantasy: Darkness
by Lacrox
Summary: Set in the Final Fantasy universe on a post-apocolyptic Earth, the story follows Kam, a mercenary with a shadowy past, and the young girl Asuka as they both search for answers.
1. Default Chapter

_The snow was beginning to fall from the darkened clouds above. She tried to cry but, the tears would not come, so tired, so cold. The gun's barrel was pressed against the back of her head. She closed her eyes as tight as she could. __   
__"Will you hurry up it's freezing out here" __   
__"God you're a wuss" __   
__"Just hurry up and kill it already" __   
__"Yeah, yeah" he cocked his gun._

_A single gunshot echoed through the forest. She slowly opened her eyes. It was still cold, this couldn't be heaven, she was hungry though, maybe it was hell. "Holy Crap!" she turned her head ever so-slightly to see the voice behind her, her would-be assassin was on the ground, the snow around him was turning a crimson red. The second man drew his pistol and fired wildly into the into the forrest, she covered her ears, the sound was almost deafening. "SHOW YOURSELF!" he screamed into the tree line. "BBAANNNGGG" another shot cracked through the air, then an even more frightening silence took hold. He fell to his knees a look of shock upon his face. She stood and began to run but fell face first into the snow and then tried to crawl away, a dark figure approached his shadow engulfed her, she turned to face this new terror. _

_He casually stepped over the small girl on the ground. He checked the first man, stripping his corpse like a vulture, ammunition, food, a watch, even his socks and placed it all into his large backpack. He then started on the second man. A scared timid voice came from behind "T..tthank you" he turned to see a pale almost blue face staring back at him, her long red hair a tangled and matted mess, her eyes red from the tears. "I didn't do it for you kid...I needed ammo" and back to his grizzly task he went. She wasn't being saved, he wasn't the prince, but she still needed help. "Why were they trying to hurt me?", he shook his head and pulled out a knife from the sheath on his leg, it's razor sharp blade glistened in the dying sunlight. She fell back and covered her face. _

_In a swift motion he grabbed one of the fallen men's arms and stuck the blade into his black sweater and cut open the fabric, he put the knife back into its cover. Holding the mans now bare arm up he called to the girl "Kid, see the tattoo?". She peeked out from between her arms, it was an image of a grey wolf. "That means he's a mage hunter, you are a mage, or at least they thought you were. Lesson over." He stood up his job now done and prepared to leave. She looked at the man, covered all in black, a rifle on his shoulder, his short dark-brown hair covered in snow, this, he was her only chance "Please...Can you help me?" her blue lips quivered. _

_She couldn't have been more than 12, he couldn't just leave her here, could he? The snow was getting worse. _

_"I'll take you in the direction of the nearest settlement, your on your own after that" he sighed. __   
__"Thank You...Sir" she stood up, her torn and filthy brown dress barely covered her shaking knees. __   
__"Let's get going, your friends here are probably going to be missed" he pulled his pack over his shoulders. __   
__"They weren't my friends" she said angrily, "Do you have anything to eat?" __   
__"Jesus kid, Do I look like a charity, I just saved your life and now your taking food out of my mouth" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a candy bar and handed it to her. __   
__"Thank you Sir" She had barely opened the packet before the chocolate was completely devoured. __   
__"Call me Kam...let's go" he headed down the snow covered path at a brisk pace._

_It was not even a meter when he heard a small cry of pain behind him, he turned to see the girl barely able to keep up. He sighed again and turned around "Stop, sit down", she quickly sat. He grabbed her feet both were nearly blue and close to frost bitten. "You don't have shoes? When were you planning on telling me this?". Quickly swinging his pack over his shoulder he pulled out a pair of his recently acquired socks and slipped them on her feet. He stood back up and walked over to the fallen mage hunters, the ground was now a deep red and the snow began to cover them, he grabbed a pair of boots. _

"_They are going to be too big, but it's best I can do" he said as he slipped them on her tiny feet. "Thank you...Kam, I'm sorry" she said as she tried in vain to lace them up._

"_You can't do anything can you?", she began to tear up again. Kam reached down to tie them for her "It's the last time Kid"._

_She looked into his eye's "My name's Asuka"._


	2. Chapter Two: Kweh!

_Chapter 2 – Kweh!_

_They had been walking for what seemed an eternity, her legs were frozen, her feet were blocks of ice. _

"_kkaam.." the name barely passed her now blue lips._

_Kam turned and saw the nearly frozen figure behind him, "What now kid? We gotta keep moving"_

_She looked up, her teeth chattered, her entire body shook._

_Kam sighed "come 'ere"_

_She slowly walked towards him, nearly stumbling along the way. Kam picked her up, her cold face and hands sent a chill down his back, he began walking as she curled into a ball in his arms. ___

_The snow started to lift, the moonlight peeked through the gray clouds. Kam checked his watch, 8:17pm. A nearby rusted sign confirmed what he already knew and seemed to mock him, "Welcome to the Ardennes Forest, France". He had been in this horrible place for almost two weeks now, France, or at least what was left of it, for at least three months, Europe for a year, never stopping, never making any real friends just wandering, fighting, searching. Now this girl, was she what he was looking for? Was this his purpose?. He stopped himself, _

"_No, just get to the settlement and drop her off" he muttered to himself. _

_But could he just leave her? There was something about her, familiar, maybe he was just getting soft in his old age. _

_Asuka stirred "Kam can we stop?" ___

_He got off the main path and headed into the tree line. Asuka jumped down and sat quietly on the ground. Kam collected some kindling and set up a small fire, he pulled out his lighter and tried to start it. Click, click, click, nothing. _

"_Damn" he grunted _

_Asuka smirked_

"_You think it's funny kid? We could use a Mage right about now". _

_Asuka looked puzzled "What's a Mage?"_

_He sighed "Mage, Wizard?"_

_She looked at him with a blank expression._

"_Mages, the use this stuff called magic, they can start things like fires, or they can make lightning in their hands, some of them can fix people up, you know heal them." His expression changed, he looked to the pile of wood in front of him "One can even call a dragon…that's why the world…that's why I…"_

"_I'm sorry" she stopped him "can I have a go?". ___

_He handed his lighter to him. It had a picture of a yellow bird on it, the word "kweh" written underneath. _

"_What's a Kweh?" she again looked to him._

"_Jesus Kid, do you know anything?" he answered gruffly "It's a Chocobo they make a kweh-noise, it's meant to bring good luck, any other questions?"_

_She held the lighter next to the kindling and struck it, the fire roared to life. Asuka offered the lighter back to him, a grin across her face. _

_Kam was dumbstruck "how bout you hold on to it"._

_He took his pack off his back and opened it, he rached inside and handed her a can of spam and a ration bar, he took a swig from his canteen and gave her the bottle. He checked the bag, two ration bars left and a can of fruit, he could go without tonight, his stomach growled in disagreement, he pulled out his blanket and saw Asuka shiver as she ate her food. He walked over to her and threw the blanket around her. _

"_Try to get some sleep we're heading out early tomorrow"_

"_Thank you". _

_Returning to his side of the fire, he lay on the ground and looked at Asuka, who was staring at her new lighter. He could have sworn it was out of gas._


	3. Chapter Three: Red

Chapter Three - Red

The sunlight broke through the trees canopy. Asuka woke and for the first time since her mother left she had a full stomach, she was warm and safe. Maybe Kam wasn't the Prince of the story but he was the next best thing. She stood and stretched, Kam was still asleep, quietly she rolled up her blanket. Hearing the sound of a stream she picked up the empty canteen on the ground and headed towards it. A small path lead to a nearby brook; the water was clean and cold, a bluebird chirped nearby bringing a smile to her face. She filled the canteen and noticed her reflection showing clearly in the water, her face was covered in dirt and dry tears, her hair a tangled fiery red mess "Not much of a Princess at the moment" she said to herself. She cleaned the dirt from her hands, gave her face a quick wash and brushed her teeth as best she could. Dipping her hair in the water she could see the dirt washing away, she dried her hair and reached into her pocket removing a fine purple ribbon, the last thing she was given by her mother. It smelt of fresh Garland flowers, she tied her hair back with it and looked for the bluebird in the trees but it was gone. The birds beautiful song had been replaced by the sounds of feet pounding on the forest floor and the loading of guns.

Asuka ran back to the camp her legs moving as fast as she could will them. Arriving back at the camp she could see Kam was still asleep, she fell next to him, short of breath.

"…Kam…Kam Wake up…Kam" she placed her still wet hands on his face hoping to stir him, his rough facial hair scratched her hand. "Please Kam Wake Up…Please" she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Kam…I'm sorry" she stood up and with her large steel capped boots, kicked him square in the ribs.  
"OOOWWWWWwww…What the Hell?" Kam grabbed his side and groaned in pain.  
"There are some men coming" she pleaded.  
"aarrrgghhh..I think you broke a rib…" he prodded his now tender side  
"Please get up" she pointed towards the brook, her hand shaking with fright.  
He rose from the ground and kneeled while pulling a pistol from his side holster he clicked the safety off and handed it to her. "This is my friend Murasama you just point him at a bad guy and pull the trigger he'll do the rest. I want you to put a bullet into anything that comes near you, do you understand?",

She looked down at the large steel object in her hands its cold metal chilled her hands. She looked up at Kam and nodded.

He drew a black knife from a sheath on his leg and headed towards the stream.

"Jaques…Jaq…Where are you?" He looked out towards the forest, he didn't have time for this, find the girl deal with her and get back those were the orders not go for a nature hike. He sighed. An arm wrapped around his neck and he could feel a blade dig into his back.  
"How many of you are there? And why are you here" Kam growled as he caught sight of pistol at the mans side.  
"Only Two" the man answered gruffly "We are here for the Mage, you are of no concern to us"  
Asuka peeked out from behind a tree "I'm not a mage" she quietly whispered to herself.  
"We are all willing to give our lives to eliminate the Mage scourge, why would you protect her, she is one of them"

"…because she.."

"KAM LOOK OUT!" Asuka screamed and pointed across the stream

A single gunshot rang out and struck the tree near Asuka, she dropped her gun and placed her arms over her head.

Kam saw the muzzle flash as it fired and moved his knife away from his captives back and in one fluid motion threw it into the chest of the hunter across the stream, he watched as he clutched his chest and fell backwards. The mage hunter wasted no time as he struck Kam in the ribs and struggled free of his grasp.

"I offered you a chance" he drew his gun and aimed at Kam as he clutched his chest.

"That was pretty foolish, you shouldn't give your enemies a chance.."

"A chance to what?" the hunter interrupted

Kam drew his second gun from the holster on his back and took aim at the Hunter. Two gunshots shook the air.

Asuka gathered her courage and opened her eyes the shots still ringing in her ears. She looked down and picked up Kam's gun slowly she peeked around the trunk of the tree. A figure slowly approached.  
"SSSTTOOP" she aimed the gun her hands shaking.  
"You already kicked me, now your gonna shoot me? Kid's these days" Kam collapsed back into the stream.  
Asuka rushed to his side "Kam, Kam what happened?" the water around him began to turn red as it continued down the creek, she watched his face turn a ghostly white.  
"Sor..sorry Kid" he looked up at the sky, a bluebird flew overhead.  
"Kam…Don't go…don't leave me" her tears fell against his face.  
"…my pack has enough food for…" he coughed, blood trickled from his mouth.  
"There has to be something I can do…Please…" she looked at his chest to see a small hole in his black shirt she pressed down on it as hard as she could her hand turned red as the blood flowed between her tiny fingers.  
"…there's enough food for a day or two...head down the path and you'll find a settlement" Kam coughed.  
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…this happened..I'm sorry I kicked you I'm sorry I took your food please don't go…please" the tears flowed freely now the water around them was now a deep red.  
"Heh…I was starting to like you kid…hey…you..look pretty with your hair…like that" he stroked her cheek and closed his eyes.  
Asuka grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight "Nnnooo…I'm sorry" She placed his hand on the ground and placed both her palms back on the wound in his chest in a desperate bid to stop the blood. "Don't go…not like Mom…no..not again..NO never again!" she started to feel warm a faint yellow glow appeared around her hands. The stream appeared to slow she felt warmer and warmer by the second the feeling of warmth overtook her. She could see her mother smiling. Asuka fainted and fell against Kam


End file.
